While American Golf Frontier Takes a Massive Leap Towards Gender Equality, Its European Counterpart Falls Down the Ladder

The 2023 season for the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, DP World Tour, and LET Tour is coming to a steady end. This year has revealed many potential top players who earned their maiden wins and elevated their gameplay tremendously. It has also brought forth the news of LIV Golf finally running controversies to the ground with their potential $3 Billion merger with the American and European Tour for men, wherein the ladies’ tournaments were left out in the cold.

With a new season about to dawn, the PGA Tour and DP World Tour have already shared their schedules. While there are several reforms in place to accommodate the laid-back rules espoused by the Saudi-backed circuit, one particular event seems to have disappeared. Do you know which one it is? Let’s find out why.

DP World Tour’s 2024 schedule missing an iconic event

The ISPS Handa World Invitational with the mixed players has been a spectacular tournament, even if it has only been around for three games in the 5 years of its existence. Since its initiation as an invite-only match for women, the event added the DP World Tour players to spice up the field. However, in the calendar for next season, the uniquely unbiased mixed tournament has dropped off from DPWT.

Needless to say, it raised a lot of suspicion amongst golfing fans. After all, who doesn’t like watching male and female golfers playing together in an event for the same amount for once? It is the perfect opportunity to demonstrate the equality of genders in one of the most esteemed sports in the world. LPGA star Leona Maguire, even said about the mixed gameplay, “I think there’s great things to see and learn from both sides.”

The PGA Tour recently took great strides towards normalizing gender equality with the co-sanctioned event to take place in December at Tiburon. The golf community was expected to advance on the same principles to fade the differences between men’s and women’s golf. However, the lateral move from the European men’s circuit presented an opportunity lost to continue down that path.

When the news was released, there was no peep or explanation from the DP World Tour but the Galgorm Castle was evidently still optimistic about hosting more professional golf events. They told BBC Sport, “We hope to have exciting news later in the year on how tournament golf at Galgorm will be developing for 2024 and beyond.” They also enunciated how the prospective events will certainly be of consequence but the mixed tournament has run its course.

What might replace the event on the DPWT calendar?

Since the schedule of DP World Tour’s 2024 season was released, fans are anxious about which event will take the place of ISPS HWI. While the game of golf is widely spreading in Ireland, the golf community is hoping that the Irish Open or a similarly large-scale event will move to Galgorm Castle.

What do you think of the ISPS Handa World Invitational dropping from DPWT calendar? In light of the merger, do you think a three-circuit event involving LIV golfers could be a possibility? Share your thoughts and opinions with us in the comments below.

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